Hydraulic torque transmission system



April 30 1940 w. E'. HABIG' Er AL I 2,198,955 l l "HYDRAULIC TORQUETRANSMISSION SYSTEM Filed June 18, 1938 fuzzy .6. Lam.

Patented Apr. 3o, 1940 PATENT' orifice 2,198,965 HYDRAULIC TORCSIUETRANSMISSION william n. Habig,

Queens village, N. Y., and

Philip' L. S. Lum, Chatham, N. J., assignors to L. A. B. Corporation,Summit, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application June 18, 1938,Serial No. 214,468

8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to a system of transmitting rotarymotion between points indirectly or remotely related by means of fluidpressure.

This invention has for an object to provide a fully enclosed synchronousfluid transmission system, including a transmitter and one or morereceivers, whereby rotary motion imparted to the transmitter istransmitted in a positive and accurately corresponding degree to therotatable elements of the receiver or receivers, and in such manner thateither continuous rotary motion is attainable or rotative motion ofthree hundred and sixty degrees or less, as may in any given case bedesired;

The invention has for a further object to provide a-novel constructionof substantially corresponding transmitter and receiver mechanismscharacterized by the possession of a novel arrangement and form ofactive or reactive uid pressure means, as the case may be, which arecooperative with a rotatable shaft through the agency of a camtransmission means, the ar-` rangement being such that, in preferredform,

said fluid pressure means are disposed in parallel relation to theshaft, thus providing a very compact mechanism capable of operativelocation in comparatively limited or confined spaces.

The invention has for another object toprovide in connection with afully enclosed fluid transmission system as above characterized, meansto compensate the system with respect to alterations of fluid volume dueto expansion and contraction of the fluid in response to temperature or'pressure variations.

Other objects of this invention, not -at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be understoodfrorn the following detailed descriptionof the same.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a face view of the hydraulic torque transmission system madeaccording to this invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof, takenon line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken online 3,-3 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is another fragmentary sectional view,taken on line 4&4 in Fig. 2.

Similar ,characters of reference are employed in the hereinabovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

- Referring to the drawing, the reference character A indicates atransmitter mechanism and lneck 2l dependent within the (creo-54.5)

the reference character B indicates a receiver mechanism.

The transmitter mechanism A comprises a main body I0 formed to providean axial bearing means II in which is journaled one end of an actuatorshaft I2. Connected with said main body I0, at its forward end, is ahousing shell I3, the outer end wall of which is provided with an axialbearing I4 in which the outer end portion of said actuator shaft I2 isjournaled. Said actuator shaft is so related to its bearings I l and Itas to be retained against longitudinal movement although free to rotate.Said main body lll is provided 'with a plurality of fluid chargedchambers longitudinally disposedand radially spaced equally aroundandparallel to the axis of said actuator shaft I2. These chambers are atleast two in numberl spaced apart. Preferably three chambers spacedapart are used, but, if desired, more than three may be provided. Asshown, these chambers are respectively identied by the referencecharacters I5, It and Il. Said chambers are closed at their rearwardends. Cooperative with each chamber is a longitudinally expandible andcontractible bellows member I8. In a preferred arrangement, as shown,each bellows member is secured at its outer open end to an annularanchor plate I9 which is suit'- ably aillxed to the body IU so as toclose the open y end of the chamber within which the bellows member isdisposed. The inner end of said bellows member I8 is closed by ahead-piece or plug 20, the same being provided with an axial bellowsmember. Afiixed to said neck 2l -is a stem 22 which extends axiallyoutward through the interior o-f the bellows member so as to projectfrom the outer open. end of the latter. In this preferred arrangementthe fluid of the system contacts the bellows members externally, but itwill be obvious that a reversal of the arrangement, whereby the uid ofthe system internally contacts the bellows members, may be utilized ifdesired.

Aflxed to said actuator shaft I2, below the forward end of said mainbody I0, and within the housing shell I3, is a cam means whichiscooperative. with the stems 22 of the several bellows members I8. Thiscam means may take various forms, .but in preferred form is of thewobble-plate type and comprises an annular wobble-plate member 23 whichis disposed in transversely oblique relation to theeaxis of saidactuator shaft and at a desired angular pitch, being secured to thelatter by a cross-pin 24' l* erence character 31.

the receiver mechanism B the wobble-plate cam so as to turn therewith.Concentrically related to and surrounding the periphery of thewobbleplate member 23 is a coupler ring 25. I'he bellows-member stems 22are provided at their free ring 25 by a keeper annulus 3| which isremovl ably secured to the coupler ring, as by screws 32. 'I'he abovedescribed means for cooperatively relating the cam to the bellows memberstems is subject to considerable variation as to detail and form, for.in bare essentials all that is necessary is that a thrusting engagementbe established between the cam and the bellows member stems.

A portion 33 of said actuator shaft I2 pro- `jects exteriorly from thehousing shell I3, and secured thereto is a crank means which ismanipulatable to apply rotary motion to said actuator shaft. Forpurposes of illustration, said crank means is shown in the form of adial disc or Wheel 34 having a handle member 35 suitably connectedtherewith. The face of said dial-disc or wheel 34 may be provided aroundits peripheral marginal portions with graduations of suitable characterto indicate, by reference to a fixed pointer element 36, rotativemovement of selective degree. The character and marking of the dial discor wheel is subject to wide variation, and, depending upon the use towhich the system is to be put, any other means for applying motion tothe actuator shaft, either continuously or to obtain a single or anypart of a single revolution, may be utilized as may be desirable in anygiven case.

The receiver mechanism B is, in general, the same in structure as theabove described transmitter mechanism A, andlike parts thereof are.therefore identified by the same reference characters by whichcorresponding parts of said transmitter mechanism A are indicated,except that the actuated shaft is indicated by the ref- It will be notedthat in is set at a correspondingly transverse but opposite pitch angleto the setting of the wobble-plate cam of said transmitter mechanism A.

Interconnecting corresponding fluid charged chambers of the transmitterand receiver mechanisms A and B are fluid conduits or pipes; forexample, extending in intercommunicating relation between the chambers Iis a conduit or pipe 38; between the chambers I6 is a conduit or pipe39; and between the chambers |1 is a conduit or pipe 4U.

Compensating means are provided for guarding the transmitter andreceiver mechanisms against relative alterations of phase due toexpansion or contraction of the iiuid charges thereof under temperatureor pressure variations. The compensating elements may be applied toeither the transmitter or receiver. In the arrangement as herein shown,and for the purposesof illustration, the compensating-elements are shownapplied to the receiver mechanism B. The compensating arrangementcomprises a mounting of the actuated shaft 31 in its bearings in suchmanner as to permit axial shift thereof. as well as rotative movement.

If desired thel shaft may be yieldably supported subject to axial shift.To so yieldably support the shaft, the same is provided with an abutmentpin 4|, or other suitable abutment or stop means, which is positionedoutwardly of the wobble-plate cam and in spaced relation to the outerend wall of the housing shell I3. Arranged about the actuated shaft 31,between said abutment pin 4| and the housing shell end wall, is acompression spring 42. If desired, footing discs 43 may be associatedwith the ends of said spring 42. In the event of expansion of the fluidin the system as a whole, the pressure of such expansion will betransmitted through the bellows members |8 and their stems 22 as adirect downward bodily thrust upon the wobble-plate cam with the resultthat a downward compensating axial movement or shift will be imparted tothe actuator shaft 31. Contraction of the uid in the system operates toeilect an upward compensating axial movement of the shaft 31. The use ofthe spring 42 is not essential when the bellows member stems have amechanically coupled relation to the wobble-plate cam, but is essentialin simpler designs wherein the bellowsmember stems merely make thrustingcontact with the wobble-plate cam.

It may sometimes occur, especially in systems where the transmitter andreceiver may be respectively subject to different local temperatureconditions, that a relative variation of 'pressure y in the chambers andbellows members vof the-one may occur without corresponding changes inthe other, and, due to the respectively different volumes of uid contentin the several chambers and bellows members, pressure may be greater inone chamber and bellows member than in its fellows. To permitcompensation and equalization of uid pressure as between the severalchambers and bellows members under such circumstances, the wobble-platecam associatedwith the actuated shaft 31 is pivotally alxed thereto soas to permit a limited degree of bodily rocking movement relative to theshaft 31 in direction adapted to compensatingly vary its pitch angle.This is attained by providing the wobble-plate cam with a bore 44 ofsomewhat larger diameter than the diameter of the shaft so that saidwobbleplate cam may rock to a limited extent about the cross-pin 24 as afulcrum. As a consequence of the limited rocking movement thus permittedto the wobble-plate cam, the latter will yield angularly to an extentsuiicient to allow the differences in pressure in the several chambersand bellows members to come to equilibrium.

'Ihe actuated shaft 31 projects exteriorly of the housing shell 3 andits outer end may be operatively coupled or otherwise utilized -toimpart the rotary motion transmitted thereto upon operation of thesystem. For example, a dialdisc 45, suitably graduated to correspond tothe indications of the dial disc 34 Iof the transmitter mechanism A maybe aii'lxed to the Ashaft 31, and its movements read with reference to afixed pointer element 46.

In the operation of the system, as the actuator 'shaft l2 is rotated,the wobble-plate cam is likewise rotated whereby, due to its angulardisposition on the shaft, the same oscillates the coupler ring insuccessively shifting vertical planes thus successivelyv reciprocatingthe stems 22 of the bellows-members I3 of the transmitter mechanism A soas to successively expand and contract the latter. As a bellows-memberI8 expands it forces the fluid in the chamber in which it is operativeoutwardly thereof and through the connecting conduit or pipe into thecorresponding chamber of the receiver mechanism B, thereby compressingthe bellows-member in said latter chamber and inducing anoutward strokeof the stem 22 connected therewith. y The outward stroke of vthe stem 22of a compressed bellows member of the receiver mechanism B reacts uponthe wobble-plate camof the latters actuated shaft 3l, causing the cam torotate and thereupon impart a like rotative impulse to said actuatedshaft 31 and the devices operated thereby. It will be understood thatoutflow of iluid from the chambers of the transmitter mechanism willeffect inflow of fluid in corresponding chambers of the receivermechanism and vice versa,`and

since the operation of the bellows members in corresponding chambers ofthe transmitter and receiver mechanisms occur in successive order;successive rotative impulses are transmitted to the wobble-plate cam andactuated shaft of the receiver mechanism B in such manner that any partor a whole revolutionof the actuator shaft of the transmitter mechanismA is correspond-i ingly reproduced at the actuated shaft of receivermechanism B, or, if desired, continuous rotation ofsaid actuated shaftmay be produced by continuously rotating the actuator shaft.

It will be obvious that the described system provides a very compact andeflicient fully enclosed and synchronous hydraulic transmission meansfor reproducing rotary motion atpoints remote from the source of power,while at the same time providing a system which is selfcompensatingunder variations of fluid volume caused by variations in temperature orpressure. It will be understood that the novel system is adapted for usein connection with many different and specific purposes.

It is realized that many changes may be made in the above describedconstructions, and that apparently widely different embodiments of thisinvention could be made without departing from the scope thereof; it istherefore intended that all matter contained in the foregoingdescription and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpretedas illustrative` and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. In a hydraulic torque transmission system, a transmitter and areceiver each having a plurality of fluid charged chambers, fluidconduit means Vinterconnecting corresponding chambers of saidtransmitter and receiver, reactive reciprocable means in correspondingchambers of said transmitter and receiver, said transmitter having arotatable actuatorshaft, cam means on said actuator shaft for operatingthe reciprocable means of the transmitter, said receiver having arotatable actuated shaft, cam means on said actuated shaft adapted to beoperated by the reciprocable means of said receiver, means to compensatefor expansion or contraction of fluid in the system under temperature orpressure variations comprising, means to retain one of the shafts andits cam means against axial displacement, and means to supportthe othershaft and its cam means subject to compensating axial displacement.

2. In a hydraulic torque transmission system, a transmitter and areceiver each having a plurality of fluid charged chambers, fluidconduit means interconnecting corresponding chambers of said transmitterand receiver, reactivereciprocable means in corresponding chambers ofsaid transmitter and receiver, said transmitter having a rotatableactuator shaft, a wobble-plate cam ailixed to said actuator shaft foroperating the reciprocable means of the transmitter, said receiverhaving a rotatable actuated shaft, a wobble-plate cam on said actuatedshaft adapted to be operated by the reciprocable means of said receiver,and means to compensate any relative variation of iiuid pressure in thechambers of' the transmitter or receiver, as the case may be, due tofluid expansion or contraction, comprising means to connect one of thewobble-plate -cams to its shaft subject to a compensating lim- ,itedangularv pitch variation.

3. In a hydraulic torque transmission system, a transmitter and areceiver each having a plurality of fluid charged chambers, fluidconduit means interconnecting corresponding chambers of said transmitterand receiver, reactive reciprocable means in corresponding chambers o fsaid transmitter and receiver, said transmitterhaving a rotatableactuator shaft, a wobble-plate cam affixed to said actuator shaft foroperating the reciprocable means ofthe transmitter, said receiver havinga rotatable actuated shaft, a wobble-plate cam on said actuated shaftadapted to be operated by the reciprocable means of said receiver, andmeans tc compensate for expansion or contraction of fluid in the systemas a whole under temperature or pressure variations comprising',means'to retain one ofthe shafts and its wobble-plate cam against axialdisplacement, and spring means to yieldably support the other shaft andits wobble-plate cam subject to compensating axial displacement.

4. In a hydraulic torque transmission system, a transmitter and areceiver each having a plurality of uid charged chambers, fluid conduitmeans interconnecting corresponding chambers thereof, reactivereciprocable means in corresponding chambers of said transmitter andreceiver, said transmitter having a rotatable actucomprising, means toretain o ne of the shafts and its wobble-plate cam against axialdisplacement, spring means to yieldably support the other shaft and itswobble-plate cam subject to compensating axial displacement, and meansto connect one of said wobble-plate cams to its shaft subject tocompensating limited angular pitch variation.

5. In a hydraulic torquetransmission system,

a transmitter and a receiver, said transmitter having an axiallydisposed actuator shaft, said receiver khaving an axially disposedactuated shaft, said transmitter and receiver each having a plurality ofuid charged chambers spaced around and disposed parallel to the shaftsthereof, fluid conduit means interconnecting corresponding chambers ofsaid transmitter and receiver, reactive reciprocable means incorresponding chambers of said transmitter and receiver, saidreciprocable means each having operating stems, an actuator wobble-platecam afxed to said transmitter actuator shaft in oblique angular relationto the axis thereof, means cou-- f pling the stems of the reciprocablemeans of the transmitter chambers with said actuator wobble-plate cam,an actuated wobble-plate cam afxed to said receiver actuated shaft inoblique angular relation to the axis thereof opposite to that of saidactuator wobble-plate cam, means coupling the stems of the reciprocablemeans of the receiver chambers with said actuated wobbleplate cam, andmeans to compensate for expansion or contraction of fluid undertemperature or pressure variations comprising, meansv to retain one ofthe shafts and its wobble-plate cam against axial displacement, andmeans to support the other shaft and its wobble-plate cam subject tocompensating axial displacement.

6. In a hydraulic torque transmission system, a transmitter and areceiver, said transmitter having an axially disposed actuator shaft,said receiver having an axially disposed actuated shaft, saidtransmitter and receiver each having a plurality of fluid chargedchambers spaced around and disposed parallel to the shafts thereof,fluid conduit means interconnecting corresponding chambers of said`transmitter and receiver, reactive reciprocable means in correspondingchambers of said transmitter and receiver, said reciprocable means eachhaving operating stems, an actuator wobble-plate cam afxed to saidtransmitter actuator shaft in l oblique angular relation to the axisthereof,

means coupling the lstems of the reciprocable means of the transmitterchambers with said actuator wobble-plate cam, an actuated wobbleplatecam aillxed to said receiver actuated shaft in oblique angular relationto the axis thereof 'opposite to that of said actuator wobble-plate cam,means coupling the stems of the reciprocable means of the Areceiverchambers with said actuated wobble-plate cam, and means to compensatefor expansion or contraction of fluid under temperature or pressurevariations comprising, means to retain one of the shafts and itswobble-plate cam against axial displacement, means to support the othershaft and its wobbleplate cam subject to compensating axialdisplacement, and means to connect one of the wobble-plate cams to itsshaft subject to compensating limited angular pitch variation. 7. In ahydraulic torque transmission system, a transmitter and a receiver, saidtransmitter having an axially disposed actuator shaft, said receiverhaving an axially disposed actuated shaft, said transmitter and receivereach having a plurality of fluid charged chambers spaced around anddisposed parallel to the shafts thereof, fluid conduit meansinterconnecting correspending chambers of said transmitter and receiver,bellows members cooperative with said chambers, said bellows membershaving stems, an actuator wobble-plate cam aflixed to said actuatorshaft in oblique angular relation to the axis thereof, means couplingthe stems of said transmitter bellows members with said actuatorwobble-plate cam, an actuated wobble-plate cam aflixed to said actuatedshaft in oblique angular relation to the axis thereof opposite to thatoi' said actuator wobble-plate cam, means for coupling the stems of saidreceiver bellows with said. actuated wobble-plate cam, and means tocompensate for expansion or contraction of fluid in the system undertemperature variation comprising, means to retain one of the shafts andits wobble-plate cam against axial displacement, and means to supportthe other of the shafts and its wobble-plate cam subject to compensatingaxial displacement.

8. In a hydraulic torque transmission system, a transmitter and areceiver, said transmitter having an axially disposed actuator shaft,said receiver having an axially disposed actuated shaft, saidtransmitter and receiver each having a plurality of fluid chargedchambers spaced around and disposed parallel to the shafts thereof,fluid conduit meansinterconnecting corresponding chambers of saidtransmitter and receiver, bellows members cooperative with saidchambers, said bellows members having stems, an actuator wobble-platecam affixed to said actuator shaft in oblique angular relation to theaxis thereof, means coupling the stems of said transmitter bellowsmembers with said actuator wobble-plate cam, an actuated wobble-platecam aixed to said actuated shaft in oblique angular relationv to theaxis thereof opposite to that of said actuator wobble-plate cam, meansfor coupling the stems of said receiver bellows members with saidactuated wobble-plate cam, and means to compensate for expansion orcontraction of fluid in the system under temperature variationcomprising, means to retain one of the shafts and its wobble-plate camagainst axial displacement, means to support the other of the shafts andits wobble-plate cam subject to compensating axial displacement, andmeans to connect one of the wobble-plate cams to its shaft subject to'compensating limited angular displacement.

WILLIAM E. HABIG. PHILIP L. s. LUM.

